A Look Toward the Past - Threads Issue 1

With my announcement a couple of weeks ago of eliminating my Threads subscription, I decided it might be fun to take a look back at the beginning of Threads.  Here's a look at the first magazine cover:

The first issue was Oct/Nov 1985.  The front cover shows a tapestry in progress.  The very first ad was for the Penland School of Craft in North Carolina.  I checked and this school is still going strong.  It looks like there are several workshops year round and they have three year residencies.  It looks like an interesting place for someone to get immersed in their craft.  The ads are just as interesting as the articles.

Articles included in the magazine are:

1.  Freestyle Embroideries by Caroline Dahl.  Illustrations are of the small embroideries. Ten embroidery stitches are included along with a pattern for making an embroidered purse.

2.  Dying Gold and Yellow by Edna Blackburn.  The article discusses the basics of dying.  The plants needed to create gold and yellow along with using onion skins for dying.

3.  Resisting Dyes by Wendy Northup.  This article discusses three different ways to resists dyes and fabric painting.

4.  The Basic Knitting Machine by Susan Guagliumi.  This article discussing the knitting machine and parts.  It also has a pattern to knit a sweater either by hand or machine.

5.  Inside an Expensive Outfit by Mary Galpin.  In the article a New York tailor took a Geoffry Beene three piece outfit and explained what made it elegant outfit.  The outfit retailed at $1800.00.  The tailor explained that there are three things that made the outfit - design, materials, and workman.  All three must work together.

6.  A Versatile Jacket by Joyce Hannah.  The article is about the Japanese Hippari Robe.

7.  Bringing Tapestry into the 20th Century by Joanne Mattera.   The article includes resources and apprenticeship information.  I checked to see if the apprenticeship information was still good but unfortunately it isn't but you can find lots of information regarding the studio.

8.  Chilkat Spinning by Alena Samuel.  This article discusses a specific type of spinning in the Pacific Northwest.

9.  Dazzling with Sequins by Barbara Shomer Kelsey.  This article talks about adding sequins to knitting and crochet.  Resources are also included in the article.

10.  All That Glitters Shisha by machine by Robbie Fanning.  The article explains how to add the mirrors to your item.  It also includes additional reading materials and supply sources.

11.  Designing the Warp by Jeanne Criscola.  This article discusses weaving.  It includes several charts.

12.  Fabric About Fabric by Deborah Cannarella.  This article refers to jacquard loom and computers.

Then it returns to the many ads that once was included in the magazine.

This was an interesting run through of this magazine.  There are a couple of articles I'm going to return to and re-read.  I love the idea of dying things.  I don't know if I would actually have the patience for it.

Hope you're inspired to create something or try something new.

Happy Stitching!